Wearing rubber gloves when putting on compression hose is helpful. They protect the stockings from snags or tears when putting them on. They also allow you to get a good grip on the stocking.

Be sure your legs and feet are dry. You can also use talcum or baby powder to help reduce the friction.

Make sure you are seated securely on a sturdy surface. Put your hand into the compression hose all the way down to the heel cup. Your fingers should be pointed toward the toe end of the stocking.

Holding on to the heel portion, turn the top part of the sock inside out with your fingers near the toe of the sock.

The heel and toe should be properly oriented to your leg before putting on the stocking. Try not to bunch up the hose when putting them on.

Hold on to the stocking just above the heel and slide your foot all the way into the compression stocking, make sure your heel is positioned firmly in the heel cup.

Pull the stocking over your foot until the ankle is covered.

Pull the rest of the stocking (the part that is inside out) up slowly and into position. For thigh high stockings it should be at the top of the thighs.

Be sure you have no folds or wrinkles in the hose.

Caring for your compression hose – Keep in mind that lanolin and oils can break down the elastic. They can be hand washed with mild soap. Rinse stockings out until all the soap is removed. Squeeze out as much water as you can, then lay the stockings flat or hang them to dry. Do not place near heat. Do not wring them out, as it may damage the way the compression stocking is woven. The more you wash them the better – Washing brings back the elasticity to the hose, and removes built up dirt and oils. Take good care of your compression hose and they can last up to 3 months.

Are your hands giving away your age? Are you spending long hours at the gym and a small fortune on anti-aging skin creams to stay looking youthful? But if you’re not taking care of your hands, you’re still spilling the beans on how many candles will be burning on your next birthday cake.

Due to the skin on the back of your hands being much thinner than on your face, hands can age faster than the face. Even when there’s a small amount of collagen or elastin fibers that break down – it’s going to be very evident in your hands. Loss of fat, which happens with age, makes veins more visible.

Also hands are the most sun-exposed part of the body after the face and chest, but many women aren’t as concerned about protecting them. Sun exposure can cause brown spots, also known as liver spots.

Not painting a pretty picture, huh? Luckily, at California Vein Specialists we offer solutions for hand rejuvenation.

Here’s the 3 step process:

Sclerotherapy

The first phase to rejuvenate your hands is to decrease bulging hand veins. These veins are normal but decreasing them is perfectly safe. Fortunately, the hand has plenty of venous return, and does well when the veins are decreased. The hand veins respond very well to sclerotherapy, typically it takes 3 sessions.

Filler

The second phase is volume replacement. The loss of fat in the hands makes the bones and tendons more pronounced. A very simple way of returning volume to the back of the hands is to inject Radiesse, a common filler. Radiesse is highly malleable and once injected, is massaged into the grooves leaving a smooth, natural appearing surface that replaces the fat that has been lost. The Radiesse may last up to two years. Now your hands are vein free, the volume has been restored and they are looking much more youthful.

IPL FotoFacial

The third phase is to diminish the brown age spots. These are called actinic keretosis and have the potential to become skin cancer. Fortunately, these brown spots respond well to IPL treatments. IPL or FotoFacial treatments break up the pigment and restore the skin to a clear, spot free, youthful appearance.

At this point your hands will look beautiful. To keep your hands looking their best, be sure to apply a sunscreen daily with at least a 30 SPF.

Venous disease is a medical issue that can lead to serious health issues. Because of this, most insurance companies cover the treatment of varicose veins. Many insurance companies, like physicians, believe the treatment of varicose veins is a necessity and should be taken care of sooner rather than later when the condition may escalate. Insurance companies have two categories under which vein treatments may fall  – Cosmetic or Medically Necessary.

Medical necessity for varicose vein treatment is generally defined as:

• Pain, swelling, leg cramps, ulcers, bleeding from varicosities or anything that impacts daily life
• Presence of reflux on ultrasound
• Failure of “Conservative Measures” such as compression hose

One of our goals at California Vein Specialists is to assist patients in obtaining insurance coverage for endovenous procedures to remove varicose veins. During your consultation with Dr. Leary, he will be able to determine if your condition is a medical necessity or cosmetic. A treatment plan will be established specifically for you. If it is a medical necessity, we will provide you with an insurance specific estimate and an approximate amount for your out of pocket expenses.

We accept most major PPO insurance plans including:

• Anthem Blue Cross
• United Health Care
• Blue Shield
• BCBS
• Cigna
• Medicare

If we don’t have a contract with your insurance company, we will assist you by preparing the necessary paperwork for you to file your claim and you’ll receive reimbursement directly from your insurance. Most plans have out of network benefits. Please contact our office with any additional insurance questions you may have.

Another advantage to using foam is that it is very echogenic, making it very easy to see on ultrasound. We can track the entire vein that has been treated. We also  track the travel of the foam in a particular vein and stop  the flow by applying pressure with the ultrasound probe, the flow can then be redirected, if necessary. The selective treatment of veins with foam is more complete than with surgical removal or microphlebectomy.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Leary at California Vein Specialists, please fill out the form below and a friendly patient coordinator will contact you!

New advances in laser technology have brought about remarkable changes in the treatment of painful and unsightly varicose veins.  Unlike the painful surgical stripping methods, new treatments for varicose veins are essentially painless.  The minimally invasive techniques significantly reduce recovery time and post treatment scarring.  The  Endovenous laser procedure has proven to be the most effective treatment for varicose veins.

“Now  endovenous laser offers my patients a more effective treatment.  The treatment is done here in the office. It takes less than an hour, and there’s no general anesthesia.  They can drive themselves to the office and drive themselves home.”

At California Vein Specialists, Dr. Leary combines medical and cosmetic  venous procedures, providing patients with the total treatment package. “While some practitioners concentrate on venous disease, they don’t follow through with the cosmetic element to help the patient’s leg look normal again.  We do everything from improving the disease to completing the treatment by eliminating spider veins and treating other physical issues,” says Dr. Leary.

Dr. Leary  is happy to announce the availability of the new Biolitec 1470 ELves.  “I have experience with all the various lasers for performing the Endovenous Ablation of Varicose Veins, including radio frequency, The 810 DIODE Laser and the 940.  Biolitec’s new 1470 is truly gentle compared to all the other technology.  My patients have very little, if any, post-op pain, and also very little bruising.  The new laser is fast, extremely effective, and incredibly gentle.  I feel this is the best technology on the market for treating venous disease.”- Dr. Leary

California Vein Specialist was the first office in Orange County to offer the new exciting technology.

Statin drugs are used for cholesterol lowering and have been proven to reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events like fatal heart attacks and strokes.  Statin drugs work by reducing the total cholesterol levels in the blood.  They work by blocking the key enzyme required for by the body to produce cholesterol.  An additional mechanism of action statins has is there ability to reduce inflammation through out the body.  This reduction in the body’s inflammation may even reduce the risk of some cancers.  A recent study suggests that statins may reduce the risk of prostate cancer and possibly even shrink some tumors.

A recent study that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown the potential effects of statin drugs on reducing the risk of developing blood clots in the veins.

As already discussed, blood clots in the veins are a major cause of disability and death.  These clots typically form in the large veins of the legs and in the pelvis.  A pulmonary embolism may result in death.  A PE results when a piece of the blood clots breaks away and travels up the veins and enters the lung.  These emboli become clogged in the lungs circulation causing shortness of breath, chest pain and may lead to complete cardiopulmonary collapse and death.  The results of this new large study (17,802 patients) has shown that statins may reduce the risk of blood clots by 50 % in patients who are already at a higher risk for clots and reduce the risk in patients with no risk factors by 40%.  Risk for PE was reduced by 23% and the overall reduction of risk for DVT was 55%. So it may be time to use statins prophylactically in patients who have an increased risk for blood clots, or patients with severe  venous disease and a history of previous blood clots.

Deep-Vein Thrombosis

Dr. Leary wanted to inform you that the coalition to prevent Deep-Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is starting its sixth annual National Deep-Vein Thrombosis awareness month.  This is a very important campaign to educate Americans about the dangers of DVT and to help reduce the risks. Did you know that in the United States DVT effects up to 2 million people annually?  Approximately 300,000 Americans die each year from a pulmonary embolism (PE) that resulted from a DVT.  DVT related PE is the most common cause of preventable hospital death. Complications from DVT kill more people each year in the U.S. than breast cancer and AIDS combined.

Risk factors for Deep-Vein Thrombosis are common and include some of the following:

• Age over 60 years
• Any recent surgery
• Recent air travel flights over four hours double the risk for Cattle class passengers
• Prior DVT
• Immobility, Paralysis, trauma
• Malignancy
• Obesity
• Pregnancy or postpartum period
• Infection
• Inherited blood clotting disorders

History of varicose veins and venous disease makes you at higher risk for a Deep-Vein Thrombosis, so Dr. Leary at California Vein Specialists would like to extend to you a special pricing for endovenous laser treatments during the month of Deep-Vein Thrombosis awareness.  He deeply cares about his patients and would like to address this very real risk.

Phlebitis of the Superficial Veins

Superficial Thrombophlebitis

I have many patients come to my office for the first time with phlebitis of the superficial veins.  This is a condition that is rarely life threatening and fairly common in patients with varicose veins.  My concern is that many patients referred to my office have already been seen and diagnosed by their physician, and in my opinion, have not been properly diagnosed.  A complete diagnostic work up is very important because many cases of simple superficial phlebitis are associated with deep vein thrombosis which I have already discussed.  Deep vein thrombosis is associated to very serious complications and can even lead to death.

Importance of a complete diagnostic work up.

Phlebitis of the superficial veins can occur spontaneously or from trauma, sometimes after surgical and/or medical procedures.  Clinical examination alone can not rule out a deep vein thrombosis that may co-exist.  When they co-exist, it is common to see no signs of the deep vein thrombosis, so the deep vein thrombosis remains silent. Studies have shown that up to 30% of people with the harmless superficial variety have occult deep vein thrombosis and if patients are not followed up properly with an ultrasound treatment, it has been found that 45% will develop DVT.  In patients that are hospitalized and develop Superficial Phlebitis, 10% will develop a pulmonary embolus and 20% of these patients will die. The reason for this is that the mechanisms that cause superficial phlebitis are the same that cause a clot in the deep system.  The pathogenesis is the same and the risk factors are the same.

Signs and symptoms of superficial phlebitis

Patients experience localized tenderness over the involved vein.  Usually, the vein is tender and can have a hard feeling to it.  The skin over the involved vein may become red.  Most patients can be treated with anti-inflammatory medicine like Advil or Aleve.  The important thing is to make sure your doctor rules out a more serious DVT.  Patients need a Duplex ultrasound.  It is also important to obtain a duplex ultrasound of the unaffected leg also, because if the phlebitis was from a clotting problem or hypercoagulable state it could affect the other leg in the same way.  Patients should also have lab work drawn to rule out a hypercoagulable state.  This is called a thrombotic risk profile which checks to see if there is something in your blood to make you more prone to blood clots. Once a DVT has been ruled out, the patient with superficial phlebitis should be followed closely with repeat ultrasounds until the phlebitis has resolved.  Sometimes the superficial vein can extend into the deep system so repeat ultrasounds are mandatory.

To learn more about California Vein Specialists , search more topics and give us a call.

Deep Venous Thrombosis Awareness

In the United States, about 2 million people per year develop deep vein thrombosis. Most of them are aged 40 years or older. Up to 600,000 are hospitalized each year for the condition. Deep vein thrombosis can lead to a more serious complication, blood clots in the lung (pulmonary embolism). Statistics reveal that at least 650,000 patients die each year from pulmonary embolism, making it the third most common cause of death in the United States.

To Learn more about DVT: schedule a consultation with Dr. Leary at California Vein Specialists 949.515.9377

A series of recent studies have found benefit in the ability of Escin, which is the active ingredient in Horse chestnut.  Escin helps to reduce and lower the volume and symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency.  Escin may work by lowering the amount of inflammation that is seen in patients with venous disease.  Unfortunately, it will NOT prevent venous disease or make your varicose veins go away.  But, it may be helpful in reducing some of the symptoms of the disease.   To learn more about California Vein Specialists , search more topics and give us a call.

Do spider vein creams and pills really work?

No, there are no creams and pills that will get rid of spider veins.   Be a skeptic.    There are many companies that claim they have the newest technology with creams and/or pills that will get rid of spider veins.  These claims are grossly exaggerated.   Some even claim to cure venous disease with a pill, which is untrue.   There are many misleading sites out there.  Many sites claim to give unbiased reviews for procedures and products to educate the public.  They then go on to hype their own particular pill or product.  Don’t be mislead by these scams!  It is best to get your information from

Spider Vein Cream

Claims of  spider vein creams are grossly exaggerated! If there was a cream that made spider veins vanish- I would have it!  It would be much better to use scientific technology to reduce the appearance of spider veins.  Sclerotherapy is the gold standard!   To schedule a consultation with Dr. Leary at California Vein Specialists, call our office at 949-515-9377.